Wooden lumber that is commonly used by the building industry is of a rectangular cross section. For a large number of construction applications, however, the actual strength properties of lumber, as a building material, are far greater than what is structurally required. It would therefore be advantageous to provide lumber material which has the minimum cross-sectional dimensions necessary to satisfy the applicable strength requirements. This would not only reduce the cost of material, but also reduce the weight of the lumber and thereby lower the transportation cost. However, the size of the lumber material cannot be reduced below a minimum needed for providing a minimum surface area for joining together the various construction elements, or for satisfying other construction needs. For example, the thickness of lumber must be such as to allow adequate surface area for nailing the edges of two adjacent panels onto the edge of the lumber, or its width must be sufficient to provide adequate air or insulation in the spacing in a wall.
In addition, prior art building construction systems and elements require that the fasteners, i.e. nails, be able to withstand the full load being placed at the connecting points of a conventional frame structure. Ordinary rectangular studs can be twisted out of position due to structural stress. This can result in bent nails, separated joints, and structural weakness. Prior art building elements, because of the rectangular design, require more lumber and natural resources to manufacture. Also, the conventional rectangular cross section studs have significant weight and space requirements for shipping, handling and storing. In addition, the flat surfaces of the lumber allow high stacks to become unstable and become a potential safety hazard.
Prior art wooden lumber also has the disadvantage of warping and twisting as the lumber dries out. In addition, such conventional wood tends to split. Another disadvantage of conventional prior art building construction systems and elements is that the elements must be properly cut and fit together by highly skilled craftsman at the construction site to maintain accurate lines in construction, e.g. accurate right angles and proper horizontal and vertical placement. Significant amounts of experienced labor at the construction site is required. The fastening system is also relatively arcane in that brute force is required, and there are safety considerations in hammering nails or using staple guns.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a construction system and elements which comprise a family of parts which can fit together to provide more structural strength with less material. It is another object of the present invention to provide a construction system and elements which have less storage space requirements, and are conducive to more consistent building accuracy. It is yet another object to provide a construction system and elements which can be pre-cut to accurate dimensions, and then assembled in a relatively simple and convenient manner at the construction site.